Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Drag coefficient”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,153 records · Page 64
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Experimental investigation of the braking and cornering characteristics of 30 x 11.5-14.5, type 8, aircraft tires with different tread patterns

An investigation was conducted at the aircraft landing loads and traction facility to study the braking and cornering characteristics, including the drag-force and cornering-force friction coefficients, of 30 by 11.5-14.5, type VIII aircraft tires with five different tread patterns. Test data were obtained on dry, damp, and flooded runway surfaces over a range of yaw angles from 0 deg to 12 deg at ground speeds from 5 knots to 100 knots. The results of this investigation indicate that a tread pattern consisting of transverse cuts across the entire width of the tread slightly improved the tire traction performance on wet surfaces. The braking and cornering capability of the tires was degraded by thin-film lubrication and tire hydroplaning effects on the wet runway surfaces. The braking capability of the tires decreased when the yaw angle was increased.

Dreher, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Historical background and design evolution of the transonic aircraft technology supercritical wing

Two dimensional wind tunnel test results obtained for supercritical airfoils indicated that substantial improvements in aircraft performance at high subsonic speeds could be achieved by shaping the airfoil to improve the supercritical flow above the upper surface. Significant increases in the drag divergence Mach number, the maximum lift coefficient for buffer onset, and the Mach number for buffet onset at a given lift coefficient were demonstrated for the supercritical airfoil, as compared with a NACA 6 series airfoil of comparable thickness. These trends were corroborated by results from three dimensional wind tunnel and flight tests. Because these indicated extensions of the buffet boundaries could provide significant improvements in the maneuverability of a fighter airplane, an exploratory wind tunnel investigation was initiated which demonstrated that significant aerodynamic improvements could be achieved from the direct substitution of a supercritical airfoil on a variable wing sweep multimission airplane model.

Ayers, T. G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Improving the efficiency of smaller transport aircraft

The efficiency of small transport aircraft can be improved through the adaptation of high altitude turbine engines, and that flights reaching altitudes of 40,000, 60,000, and 80,000 feet can show savings in both flight time and fuel consumption even for trips as short as 500 miles. Studies for a 40-passenger high altitude transport are presented. An increase in structural weight due to larger wing areas, larger engines, and larger engine frontal areas would make the ratio of gross weight to payload look less favorable, but the efficiency of the plane in passenger miles per gallon would increase with altitude. It is also suggested that supercritical airfoils be designed to achieve higher lift coefficients and speeds. A reduction of reduced drag through the use of horizontal or vertical wing tip extensions is also discussed.

Jones, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Numerical methods and a computer program for subsonic and supersonic aerodynamic design and analysis of wings with attainable thrust considerations

This paper describes methodology and an associated computer program for the design of wing lifting surfaces with attainable thrust taken into consideration. The approach is based on the determination of an optimum combination of a series of candidate surfaces rather than the more commonly used candidate loadings. Special leading-edge surfaces are selected to provide distributed leading-edge thrust forces which compensate for any failure to achieve the full theoretical leading-edge thrust, and a second series of general candidate surfaces is selected to minimize drag subject to constraints on the lift coefficient and, if desired, on the pitching moment coefficient. A primary purpose of the design approach is the introduction of attainable leading-edge thrust considerations so that relatively mild camber surfaces may be employed in the achievement of aerodynamic efficiencies comparable to those attainable if full theoretical leading-edge thrust could be achieved. The program provides an analysis as well as a design capability and is applicable to both subsonic and supersonic flow.

Carlson, H. W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Computations for the 16-foot transonic tunnel, NASA, Langley Research Center, revision 1

The equations used by the 16 foot transonic tunnel in the data reduction programs are presented in eight modules. Each module consists of equations necessary to achieve a specific purpose. These modules are categorized in the following groups: tunnel parameters; jet exhaust measurements; skin friction drag; balance loads and model attitudes calculations; internal drag (or exit-flow distributions); pressure coefficients and integrated forces; thrust removal options; and turboprop options. This document is a companion document to NASA TM-83186, A User's Guide to the Langley 16 Foot Transonic Tunnel, August 1981.

Mercer, Charles E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A review of computational/experimental methodology developments in aeroacoustics

A number of studies in the area of propeller design and advanced configuration performance/acoustics are reviewed. Various designs are analyzed in the area of propeller efficiency, lift-to-drag ratio, and differential thrust and power coefficients. Predictions are compared to experiment and the numerical analyses are examined for restrictions and potential enhancements.

Eagleson, L. A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Flexible Thermal Protection System Development for Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators

The Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators (HIAD) project has invested in development of multiple thermal protection system (TPS) candidates to be used in inflatable, high downmass, technology flight projects. Flexible TPS is one element of the HIAD project which is tasked with the research and development of the technology ranging from direct ground tests, modelling and simulation, characterization of TPS systems, manufacturing and handling, and standards and policy definition. The intent of flexible TPS is to enable large deployable aeroshell technologies, which increase the drag performance while significantly reducing the ballistic coefficient of high-mass entry vehicles. A HIAD requires a flexible TPS capable of surviving aerothermal loads, and durable enough to survive the rigors of construction, handling, high density packing, long duration exposure to extrinsic, in-situ environments, and deployment. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of key work being performed within the Flexible TPS element of the HIAD project. Included in this paper is an overview of, and results from, each Flexible TPS research and development activity, which includes ground testing, physics-based thermal modelling, age testing, margins policy, catalysis, materials characterization, and recent developments with new TPS materials.

DelCorso, Joseph A.↗
NASA NTRS1935

Large-Scale Boundary-Layer Control Tests on Two Wings in the NACA 20-Foot Wind Tunnel, Special Report

Tests were made in the N.A.C.A. 20-foot wind tunnel on: (1) a wing, of 6.5-foot span, 5.5-foot chord, and 30 percent maximum thickness, fitted with large end plates and (2) a 16-foot span 2.67-foot chord wing of 15 percent maximum thickness to determine the increase in lift obtainable by removing the boundary layer and the power required for the blower. The results of the tests on the stub wing appeared more favorable than previous small-scale tests and indicated that: (1) the suction method was considerably superior to the pressure method, (2) single slots were more effective than multiple slots (where the same pressure was applied to all slots), the slot efficiency increased rapidly for increasing slot widths up to 2 percent of the wing chord and remained practically constant for all larger widths tested, (3) suction pressure and power requirements were quite low (a computation for a light airplane showed that a lift coefficient of 3.0 could be obtained with a suction as low as 2.3 times the dynamic pressure and a power expenditure less than 3 percent of the rated engine power), and (4) the volume of air required to be drawn off was quite high (approximately 0.5 cubic feet per second per unit wing area for an airplane landing at 40 miles per hour with a lift coefficient of 3,0), indicating that considerable duct area must be provided in order to prevent flow losses inside the wing and insure uniform distribution of suction along the span. The results from the tests of the large-span wing were less favorable than those on the stub wing. The reasons for this were, probably: (1) the uneven distribution of suction along the span, (2) the flow losses inside the wing, (3) the small radius of curvature of the leading edge of the wing section, and (4) the low Reynolds Number of these tests, which was about one half that of the stub wing. The results showed a large increase in the maximum lift coefficient with an increase in Reynolds Number in the range of the tests. The results of drag tests showed that the profile drag of the wing was reduced and the L/D ratio was increased throughout the range of lift coefficients corresponding to take-off and climb but that the minimum drag was increased. The slot arrangement that is best for low drag is not the same, however, as that for maximum lift.

Freeman, Hugh B.↗
NASA NTRS1961

Aerodynamic Force Characteristics of a Series of Lifting Cone and Cone-Cylinder Configurations at a Mach Number of 6.83 and Angles of Attack up to 130 Deg

Force tests of a series of right circular cones having semivertex angles ranging from 5 deg to 45 deg and a series of right circular cone-cylinder configurations having semivertex angles ranging from 5 deg to 20 deg and an afterbody fineness ratio of 6 have been made in the Langley 11-inch hypersonic tunnel at a Mach number of 6.83, a Reynolds number of 0.24 x 10.6 per inch, and angles of attack up to 130 deg. An analysis of the results made use of the Newtonian and modified Newtonian theories and the exact theory. A comparison of the experimental data of both cone and cone-cylinder configurations with theoretical calculations shows that the Newtonian concept gives excellent predictions of trends of the force characteristics and the locations with respect to angle of attack of the points of maximum lift, maximum drag, and maximum lift-drag ratio. Both the Newtonian a.nd exact theories give excellent predictions of the sign and value of the initial lift-curve slope. The maximum lift coefficient for conical bodies is nearly constant at a value of 0.5 based on planform area for semivertex angles up to 30 deg. The maximum lift-drag ratio for conical bodies can be expected to be not greater than about 3.5, and this value might be expected only for slender cones having semivertex angles of less than 5 deg. The increments of angle of attack and lift coefficient between the maximum lift-drag ratio and the maximum lift coefficient for conical bodies decrease rapidly with increasing semivertex angles as predicted by the modified Newtonian theory.

Penland, Jim A.↗
NASA NTRS1943

Wind-Tunnel Investigation of a Low-Drag Airfoil Section with a Double Slotted Flap

Tests were made of an 0.309-chord double-slotted flap on an NACA 65, 3-118, a equals 1.0 airfoil section to determine drag, lift, and pitching-moment characteristics for a range of flap deflections. Results indicate that combination of a low-drag airfoil and a double-slotted flap, of which the two parts moved as a single unit, gave higher maximum lift coefficients than have been obtained with plain, split, or slotted flaps on low-drag airfoils. Pitching moments were comparable to those obtained with other high-lift devices on conventional airfoils for similar lift coefficients.

AIRFOILS - NACA 65,3-118-CHAR , MOMENTS & ORDINATE↗
NASA NTRS1991

Aerodynamic characteristics of scissor-wing geometries

A scissor-wing configuration, consisting of two independently sweeping-wing surfaces, is compared with an equivalent fixed-wing geometry baseline over a wide Mach number range. The scissor-wing configuration is shown to have a higher total lift-to-drag ratio than the baseline in the subsonic region primarily due to the slightly higher aspect ratio of the unswept scissor wing. In the transonic region, the scissor wing is shown to have a higher lift-to-drag ratio than the baseline for values of lift coefficient greater than 0.35. It is also shown that, through the use of wing decalage, the lift of the two independent scissor wings can be equalized. In the supersonic regime, the zero lift wave drag of the scissor-wing at maximum sweep is shown to be 50 and 28 percent less than the zero lift wave drag of the baseline at Mach numbers 1.5 and 3.0, respectively. In addition, a pivot-wing configuration is introduced and compared with the scissor wing. The pivot-wing configuration is shown to have a slightly higher total lift-to-drag ratio than the scissor wing in the supersonic region due to the decreased zero lift wave drag of the pivot-wing configuration.

Selberg, Bruce P.↗
NASA NTRS1938

The Effect of Surface Irregularities on Wing Drag. II - Lap Joints: Lap Joints - 2

Tests have been made in the NACA 8-foot high-speed wind tunnel of the drag caused by four types of lap joint. The tests were made on an airfoil of NACA 23012 section and 5-foot chord and covered in a range of speeds from 80 to 500 miles per hour and lift coefficients from 0 to 0.30. The increases in profile drag caused by representative arrangements of laps varied from 4 to 9%. When there were protruding rivet heads on the surface, the addition of laps increased the drag only slightly. Laps on the forward part of a wing increased the drag considerably more than those farther back.

Hood, Manley J.↗
NASA NTRS1946

Critical Mach Numbers of Thin Airfoil Sections with Plain Flaps

Critical Mach number as function of lift coefficient is determined for certain moderately thick NACA low-drag airfoils. Results, given graphically, included calculations on same airfoil sections with plain flaps for small flap deflections. Curves indicate optimum critical conditions for airfoils with flaps in such form that they can be compared with corresponding results for zero flap deflections. Plain flaps increase life-coefficient range for which critical Mach number is in region of high values characteristic of low-drag airfoils.

AIRFOILS - NACA 651-208 - CHARACTERISTICS LOW-DRAG↗
NASA NTRS1944

Wind Tunnel Investigation of the Effects of Slot Shape and Flap Location on the Characteristics of a Low-Drag Airfoil Equipped with a 0.25-Chord Slotted Flap

Tests were conducted at dynamic pressure of 50 lb per square foot with lift drag and pitch moment measurements throughout useful angle of attack range for constant flap deflection and position of a low-drag airfoil. Two slots were investigated and practical flap paths were selected for each Slot shape had a negligible effect on the maximum lift coefficient flap deflected, the rounded-entry slot had lower profile drag.

WIND TUNNEL TESTS - AAL - (10'X 7')↗
NASA NTRS1999

NCV Flow Diagnostic Test Results

There were two objectives for this test. First, was to assess the reasons why there is approximately 1.5 drag counts (cts) discrepancy between measured and computed drag improvement of the Non-linear Cruise Validation (NCV) over the Technology Concept Airplane (TCA) wing body (WB) configurations. The Navier-Stokes (N-S) pre-test predictions from Boeing Commercial Airplane Group (BCAG) show 4.5 drag cts of improvement for NCV over TCA at a lift coefficient (CL) of 0. I at Mach 2.4. The pre-test predictions from Boeing Phantom Works - Long Beach, BPW-LB, show 3.75 drag cts of improvement. BCAG used OVERFLOW and BPW-LB used CFL3D. The first test entry to validate the improvement was held at the NASA Langley Research Center (LARC) UPV;T, test number 1687. The experimental results showed that the drag improvement was only 2.6 cts, not accounting for laminar run and trip drag. This is approximately 1.5 cts less than predicted computationally. In addition to the low Reynolds Number (RN) test, there was a high RN test in the Boeing Supersonic Wind Tunnel (BSWT) of NCV and TCA. BSV@T test 647 showed that the drag improvement of NCV over TCA was also 2.6 cts, but this did account for laminar run and trip drag. Every effort needed to be done to assess if the improvement measured in LaRC UPWT and BSWT was correct. The second objective, once the first objective was met, was to assess the performance increment of NCV over TCA accounting for the associated laminar run and trip drag corrections in LaRC UPWT. We know that the configurations tested have laminar flow on portions of the wing and have trip drag due to the mechanisms used to force the flow to go from laminar to turbulent aft of the transition location.

Cappuccio, Mina↗
NASA NTRS1939

Preliminary Investigation of Certain Laminar-Flow Airfoils for Application at High Speeds and Reynolds Numbers

In order to extend the useful range of Reynolds numbers of airfoils designed to take advantage of the extensive laminar boundary layers possible in an air stream of low turbulence, tests were made of the NACA 2412-34 and 1412-34 sections in the NACA low-turbulence tunnel. Although the possible extent of the laminar boundary layer on these airfoils is not so great as for specially designed laminar-flow airfoils, it is greater than that for conventional airfoils, and is sufficiently extensive so that at Reynolds numbers above 11,000,000 the laminar region is expected to be limited by the permissible 'Reynolds number run' and not by laminar separation as is the case with conventional airfoils. Drag measurements by the wake-survey method and pressure-distribution measurements were made at several lift coefficients through a range of Reynolds numbers up to 11,400,000. The drag scale-effect curve for the NACA 1412-34 is extrapolated to a Reynolds number of 30,000,000 on the basis of theoretical calculations of the skin friction. Comparable skin-friction calculations were made for the NACA 23012. The results indicate that, for certain applications at moderate values of the Reynolds number, the NACA 1412-34 and 2412-34 airfoils offer some advantages over such conventional airfoils as the NACA 23012. The possibility of maintaining a more extensive laminar boundary layer on these airfoils should result in a small drag reduction, and the absence of pressure peaks allows higher speeds to be reached before the compressibility burble is encountered. At lower Reynold numbers, below about 10,000,000, these airfoils have higher drags than airfoils designed to operate with very extensive laminar boundary layers.

Jacobs, E.N.↗
NASA NTRS1956

An analysis of air-turborocket engine performance including effects of component changes

An analytical study of the air-turborocket engine is presented, showing both full-power operation over a range of flight speeds and part-power operation at several supersonic speeds. Engine weight, drag, and area variations are calculated in addition to the internal thrust coefficient and specific impulse. Tehe effects of changes in the component designs and efficiencies are indicated. Maximum specific impulse (including nacelle drag and using gasoline - nitric acid propellants) at Mach 2.3 is 1500 lb/(lb/sec). The performance is compared with that of a typical turbojet engine.

Luidens, Roger W↗
NASA NTRS1977

Aerodynamic configuration development of the highly maneuverable aircraft technology remotely piloted research vehicle

The aerodynamic development of the highly maneuverable aircraft technology remotely piloted research vehicle (HiMAT/RPRV) from the conceptual design to the final configuration is presented. The design integrates several advanced concepts to achieve a high degree of transonic maneuverability, and was keyed to sustained maneuverability goals while other fighter typical performance characteristics were maintained. When tests of the baseline configuration indicated deficiencies in the technology integration and design techniques, the vehicle was reconfigured to satisfy the subcritical and supersonic requirements. Drag-due-to-lift levels only 5 percent higher than the optimum were obtained for the wind tunnel model at a lift coefficient of 1 for Mach numbers of up to 0.8. The transonic drag rise was progressively lowered with the application of nonlinear potential flow analyses coupled with experimental data.

Gingrich, P. B.↗